Transom-lifter.



E P HARRIS TRANSOM LIFTER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB" 3, I915- 1,201,581. Patented 001;.17,1916.

ELIJAI-I P. HARRIS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TRANSOM-LIFTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 17, 1916;

Application filed February 3. 1916. Serial No. 75,890.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ELIJAH P. HARRIS, acitizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, county of Cook, andState of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTransom-Lifters, of which the following is a specification.

It has heretofore been proposed, as for example in United States PatentNo. 1,066,435, transom lifter, July 1,1913, to construct an appliance ofthis general character with a pair of spring-actuated clampingleversmounted on a rod-clamp and adapted by engagement with a fixed rod tolock or hold the transom or other actuated part in adjusted position. Insuch devices a liftrod is provided in cooperative relation with both ofthe clamping-levers so that when the rod is pulled down it will releasethe grip of one of the levers on the fixed rod, permitting the rod-clampto slide down on the fixed rod, and the transom to open, and when theliftrod is pushed up, it releases the other clamp-lever, permitting therod-clamp to slide upwardly upon the fixed rod, closing the transom. Ina device of this kind where only one of the clamping-levers ispositively released, there is a tendency for the other lever, when itslides on the fixed rod,

to cause an objectionable chattering or vibration.

One of the leading objects of the present invention is to so constructan appliance of this general character that both clampinglevers will bereleased at the same time and the rod-clamp permitted to slide on therod upon actuation of the lifting-rod in either direction. In this way,the undesirable noise is overcome and a freer actuation of the appliancemade possible.

In order that those skilled in this art may understand the principles ofthis invention, I have illustrated a preferredembodiment of the sameinthe accompanying drawings, throughout the various views ofwhich likereference characters refer to the same parts.

In these drawings: Figure 1 illustrates in elevation one embodiment ofthe invention and shows the parts with which it is associatedfragmentarily; Fig. 2 is a face view of the structure shown in Fig. 1;Fig. 3 is a section illustrating another embodiment of the invention,and Fig. 4 is a face view of the appliance of Fig. 3.

served that the transom 10 is illustrated as being hinged at 11 to theframe, wall, or caslng, 12 on a portion of which the transo1n-l1fter ismounted. The appliance includes a fixed rod 13 desirably square incross-section and supported at its opposite ends in brackets 11 and 15,both of which. are mounted in any approved manner on the support 12. Onsuch rod a clamp is slidingly mounted, the clamp comprising a casing orshell 16, the opposite end-walls 17, 17, of which are apertured inalinement, as shown in Fig. 3, for the reception of rod 13. This casingor housing has within it two clamp levers 18 and 19 fulcrumed within thehousing at 20, 20, in any desirable manner. These levers or rocking armsare apertured for the accommodation of the rod 13, which they areadapted to grip in the well known manner. A spring 21 surrounds the rod13 between the levers and tends to rock them in opposite directions,thatis, it tends to force them into rod-gripping positions it beingunderstood that one of these levers 18, for instance, prevents the clampas a whole from moving downwardly on the rod, the clamp 19 preventing itfrom moving upwardly.

The transom has an arm 22 secured there- -to, its end being connected tothe rod-clamp lever 18. In order to assist in the proper support andguiding of the lifting-rod 27, it extends down through an aperture 30 inbracket 15.

So far as the device has now been described, it is old in the prior art,the'improvement of this invention comprising the means now about to bedescribed, which operate as will be readily understood, in combinationwith the other elements of the structure.

On a portion 31 of the casing 16, located mid-way between theclamp-levers 18 and 19, I pivot at its middle point 32 a rocking lever33, the opposite ends of which are connected to the two clamp-levers bymeans of links 34 and 35. Clearly then, if either clamp-lever is rockedagainst the action of spring 21 into rod-releasing position, thecompanion clamp-lever will necessarily be rocked in the oppositedirection, also freeing itself from the fixed rod.

The appliance works as follows: Assuming that the parts are in thepositions illustrated in full lines in Figs. 1 and 2, and that it isdesired to open the transom farther, the operator grasps the rod 27 andpulls downwardly. Shoulder 29 engages the top face of clamp-lever 18 andswings the latter downwardly against the action of spring 21, in thisway releasing the grip or grasp of the lever on the fixed rod 13. Suchmovement of the lever 18, through the action of link 34, swings thelever 33 in a clockwise direction as the parts are viewed in Fig. 1,causingan upward rocking of clamp-lever 19, which likewise frees itsgrip upon rod 13. The part 16 and the elements associated therewith arenow quite free to slide down 011 the rod, and such movement is caused bythe continued downward pull on the rod 27. When the transom has beenbrought to the proper degree of opening, the operator releases rod 27,whereupon spring 21 by expanding causes both of the levers 18 and 19 togrip the rod 13 and locks the transom in the required position.

In case it is desired to close the transom either wholly, or in part,the operator, by pushing up on rod 27, similarly releases bothclamping-levers, forcing the rod-clamp as a whole upwardly to therequired position, and, upon releasing his hold on the part 27 theclamp-levers immediately grasp the fixed rod and lock the transom, aswill be readily understood.

Another type of structure is'shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and all parts ofthe appliance are the same as in the device of Figs. 1 and 2, with theexception that the clamp levers 18 and 19 are replaced by others 18 19the former of which on one side has an enlargement 18 the latter on theopposite side having an enlargement 19 and with the further exceptionthat in place of the equalizing elements 31, 33, 34, and 35, a somewhatdifferent structure is employed. On the outer face of the housing orcasing 16 and beneath the lift-rod 27, a lever 41, having hook-shapedends 42 and 43, is pivoted at 40, the lever and such ends being ofsubstantially Z-shape, as shown in Fig. 4. The hook part 42 engages thetop face of clamp lever 18 and the hook portion 43 bears against theunder face of clamp lever 19, the wider ears or extensions 18 or 19being accommodated in the spaces at the bases of the hooks, as isclearly illustrated and will be readily understood. This modifiedstructure operates practically as follows: I/Vhen the rod 27 is pulleddown, clamping lever 18 goes with it, releasing its grip upon the rod13, and as the lever 18 swings its ear 18 acts on the top edge of lever41 so as to swing the latter in a clockwise direction, such movement ofthe lever causing the hook 43 to swing the clamp lever 19 upwardly,releasing its grasp on the rod 13. Continued downward movement of therod 27, of course, shifts the rodclamp as a whole and opens the transom.If the rod 27 is pushed upwardly, lever 19 swings up, its ear 19 byengagement with the lower edge of the lever 41, swinging the latter in aclockwise direction, causing finger 42 to pull down lever 18. In thisway, both clamp levers are released and upward movement of the rod 27shifts the rod-clamp and closes the transom. In both instances, releaseof the part 27 permits the two clamplevers 18 and 19, under the actionof their spring, to again grip the rod 13 and lock the transom inposition.

The invention as defined in the appended claims is, of course, capableof a variety of embodiments, and those presented are merely examples ofhow the invention may be worked into practicable form. Clearly, manyminor mechanical changes may be made in the structures depicted withoutdeparture from the substance of the invention and without the sacrificeof any of its substantial benefits and advantages.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination of a fixedrod, a rod-clamp slidable thereon and supplied with a pair ofrod-gripping means adapted to lock the rodclamp on the fixed rod, meansadapted to connect said rod-clamp to an adjustable sash, and meansadapted to release both of said gripping-means simultaneously and adjustthe rod-clamp on the rod including a single means adapted to be graspedand moved by the hand to elfect such release and adjustment,substantially as described.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of a fixedrod, a rod-clamp adjustably mounted thereon including a pair of clampinglevers apertured for the accommodation of and adapted to grip said rodand lock the rod-clamp against movement thereon and means tending tomove said levers in opposite directions, means adapted to connect saidrod-clamp to an adjustable sash, and operating means adapted to releasethe grip of both of said clamp levers on said 139 rod simultaneously andadjust the rod-clamp on the rod including a single depending rod adaptedto be grasped and moved by the hand to eifect said release andadjustment, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination of a fixedrod, a rod-clamp slidable on said rod and provided with a pair ofrod-gripping levers fulcrumed thereon and apertured for theaccommodation of said rod, spring-means tending to rock said levers intorod-gripping position, means connecting said levers causing an oppositemovement of either lever When the other is moved, means adapted toconnect said rod-clamp to an adjustable sash, and means adapted to acton one of said levers, release both of said levers, and move the clampin one direction on the rod and act on the other of said levers, releaseboth of said levers, and move the clamp in the opposite direction onsaid rod, substantially as described.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination of a fixedrod, a rod-clamp slidable on said rod and provided With a pair ofrod-gripping levers fulcrumed thereon and apertured for theaccommodation of said fixed rod, spring-means tending to rock saidlevers into rod-gripping position, means pivoted on said rod-clamp andconnecting said levers causing an opposite movement of either lever Whenthe other is actuated, means adapted to connect said rod-clamp to an adjustable sash, and means adapted to act on one of said levers, releaseboth of said levers, and move the clampin one direction on the rod, andact on the other of said levers, release both of said levers, and movethe clamp in the opposite direction on said rod, substantially asdescribed.

ELIJAH P. HARRIS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents- Washington, I). G.

v Correction in Letters Patent No. 1,201,581

It is hereby certified that Letters Patent No. 1,201,581, grantedOctober 17, 1916, upon the application of Elijah P. Harris, of Chicago,Illinois, for an improvement in Transom-Lifters, were erroneously issuedto the inventor, said Harris, Whereas said Letters Patent should havebeen issued to The Pa/yson Mama facturing Company of Chicago, ofChicago, Illinois, a Corporation of Illinois, said corporation being ovvner of the entire interest in said invention, as shown by the recordsof assignments in this office; and that the said Letters Patent shouldbe read with this correction therein that the same may conform to therecord of the case in the Patent Ofiice. v I I I I I Signed and sealedthis 21st day of November, A. D., 1916.

F. W. H. CLAY, Acting Commissioner of Patents.

[SEAL]

